Chris Conley: Saves The Day, New Jersey Hardcore & Overcoming Hitting Rock Bottom

We're joined his week to by Chris Conley, the founder, vocalist, and songwriter of Saves The Day for a comprehensive, career retrospective conversation… Featuring special guest co-host, Dr. Britty Drake of Pity Sex.

In this true 3.5 hour epic, we start from the beginning and deep deep into Chris and STD’s entire history… From discovering punk through free tickets to a Rancid show, instinctively writing music the second he touched a guitar, Sefler’s humble origin and demo quickly evolving into Saves The Day, working with Steve Evetts and Equal Vision records, Lifetime’s influence on the early days and Can’t Slow Down, dropping out of school to tour on Through Being Cool, taking a leap into the mainstream with Stay What You Are, the harsh reality check of In Reverie, all the way up to feeling “resurrected” by his family in 2026 and finding new ways to handle his lifelong battle with depression.

A true feast of information for any fan of the band, Chris, hardcore, punk, emo or beyond… Thank you to Chris and Britty for joining us.

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HardLore: A Knotfest Series, fueled by Monster Energy.

Shot, Mixed & Edited by Steven Grise

Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf

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00:00:00 - Start

00:01:22 - Chris Conley

00:02:24 - Discovering Music in New Jersey

00:08:58 - Developing His Songwriting Chops

00:11:24 - Everything Comes From Hardcore

00:13:47 - The Show That Changed It All...

00:19:09 - New Jersey Word Association

00:28:56 - How Sefler Became SAVES THE DAY

00:34:13 - Saves The Day's First Hardcore Show

00:36:48 - Sefler

00:38:20 - Saves The Day's Relationship With Steve Evetts

00:41:44 - Equal Vision Records

00:43:21 - CAN'T SLOW DOWN

00:51:38 - Pardon This Interruption...

00:55:04 - Favorite Fret

00:57:37 - Evolving as a Teenage Lyricist

01:04:41 - First U.S. Tour with Bane

01:10:08 - The Story Behind "I'm Sorry I'm Leaving"

01:12:22 - Attending NYU

01:15:26 - Dropping out of NYU

01:16:57 - Can't Slow Down Songs that Resonate with Chris Now

01:18:20 - "Blindfolded"

01:20:35 - "Always Ten Feet Tall"

01:21:04 - THROUGH BEING COOL

01:30:50 - The Iconic Through Being Cool Album Cover

01:32:26 - "Shoulder to the Wheel"

01:35:31 - Saves the Day's First Consistent Lineup

01:37:24 - Shoulder To The Wheel Music Video

01:38:31 - Pop Punk vs. Emo

01:45:34 - "Banned From The Back Porch"

01:49:44 - Tours On Through Being Cool

01:51:39 - Vocal Conditioning & Early Voice Changes

01:55:12 - Reflecting on Through Being Cool

01:57:10 - "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off To Heaven"

01:58:06 - STAY WHAT YOU ARE

02:01:41 - "At Your Funeral" & Working With Rob Schnapf

02:07:53 - Chris' Voice Changing

02:09:15 - Stay What You Are 25 Years Later

02:11:06 - Growth Over The Years

02:19:20 - Criticism After In Reverie

02:22:19 - IN REVERIE

02:24:39 - Dreamworks

02:27:38 - In Reverie's Cursed Roll Out and Release

02:30:50 - Fatherhood Changing His Perspective

02:31:41 - UPS AND DOWNS

02:34:50 - Trilogy Chapter 1: SOUND THE ALARM

02:43:05 - Formulating the Idea for This Trilogy

02:45:50 - Trilogy Chapter 2: UNDER THE BOARDS

02:47:31 - Touring On The Records

02:50:28 - Trillogy Chapter 3: DAYBREAK (GOATED)

02:54:54 - Dealing With Criticism

02:58:10 - S/T

02:59:51 - Re-Signing to Equal Vision

03:02:58 - Five Year Gap Before 9

03:07:51 - Feeling "Resurrected" in 2026 Thanks to His Wife

03:15:15 - Next Chapter For Chris & Saves The Day

03:18:45 - Top 4 Hardcore Records